By Harriet Tornguvan
The Federal Government has reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening coordination of humanitarian interventions and expanding investment in social protection programmes to address poverty, insecurity and growing humanitarian challenges across the country.
The Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Bernard Doro, disclosed this during a courtesy visit by officials of Enhancing Financial Innovation and Access (EFinA) to the Ministry’s headquarters in Abuja.
According to a statement issued by the Ministry’s Director of Information and Public Relations, Janet McDickson, the minister said the Ministry remains committed to an open door engagement framework that encourages collaboration among government institutions, development partners, civil society organisations and the private sector to improve service delivery to vulnerable Nigerians.
Doro described poverty as one of Nigeria’s most pressing national challenges, noting that millions of citizens continue to face multidimensional deprivation affecting healthcare, education, housing, food security and livelihoods.
He observed that the situation has been compounded by insecurity, displacement, conflict and climate-related shocks, which continue to strain emergency response systems and hinder long-term development planning.
The minister stressed that poverty and insecurity are closely linked, explaining that deprivation and unemployment often increase vulnerability to crime and instability.
He maintained that strengthening social protection systems is essential not only for reducing poverty but also for promoting national stability and resilience.
Highlighting reforms under the Ministry’s “One Humanitarian and One Poverty Response System,” Doro said the initiative seeks to harmonise interventions across agencies, eliminate duplication and improve efficiency, accountability and overall impact.
He noted that fragmented interventions, weak data integration and uncoordinated social registers have continued to undermine effective targeting and resource optimisation.
“Nigeria’s challenge is not the absence of interventions, but the lack of effective coordination,” he stated.
According to him, the new framework will deepen institutional collaboration, strengthen data integration and establish unified delivery systems to ensure interventions reach intended beneficiaries while reducing leakages and improving transparency.
The minister acknowledged resistance to reform efforts but insisted that the government remains committed to building a more accountable and technology-driven humanitarian response system capable of delivering measurable results.
He also called on donor agencies, development partners, civil society organisations and the private sector to sustain support for initiatives aimed at creating a more coordinated and impactful humanitarian and social protection system in Nigeria.
Earlier, the Chief Executive Officer of EFinA, Foyinsolami Akinjayeju, said that although financial inclusion in Nigeria has risen to about 74 per cent, largely driven by digital payments, the progress has yet to translate into stronger financial resilience for many citizens.
She identified persistent gaps in savings, insurance uptake, pension participation and access to affordable credit, especially among women and rural populations.
Akinjayeju advocated a shift from access-focused financial inclusion to meaningful usage, supported by stronger digital public infrastructure and improved coordination among regulators, financial institutions and development partners.
The meeting was attended by directors and senior officials of the Ministry, including Mr Valentine Ezulu and Mrs Janet McDickson, alongside members of the EFinA delegation.
